This invention relates to the manipulation of fluids, and particularly the manipulation of fluids using electrostatic forces.
A mechanism which allows direct electrical control of fluid movement may be useful in a range of devices, for example, in adaptive optical devices, drug delivery pumps, and biochemical assays. In such applications it is necessary to move small amounts of fluid in a controlled manner. Adaptive optical devices using two immiscible fluids are known, but mixing of the fluids is a disadvantage and may limit applications.